Bombs, bullets and barbed wire made the front line in the First
World War a horrendous experience.

But a Durham doctor has explored how ( quite apart from the
fighting ( the appalling living conditions in the trenches added another
layer of utter misery for the troops.

Dr John Charters, a semi-retired GP who lives in Shincliffe, has
studied the impact of disease and health breakdown among soldiers caused
by factors like lice, vermin, dirt and wet and cold conditions.

"If you want an impression of how awful it was, dig a 6ft hole
in the garden, fill it with dead dogs and sewage and have the neighbours
shoot at you," said Dr Charters, who will give a talk on the
subject on Saturday at 2pm at the Durham Light Infantry Museum.

Dr Charters' interest in the First World War began 45 years
ago when he read Robert Graves' memoir Goodbye To All That, and
last year he was awarded an MA by Birmingham University in First World
War studies. His dissertation was on lice infestation suffered by the
soldiers. In 1916 a survey by a researcher from Newcastle, published in
the British Medical Journal, showed that 95% of men in the front line
had 30 to 40 lice, some were inflicted with over 100 and one man had
10,000 in his clothing.

"Lice are very small insects which live on human blood and
which like living in thick woollen clothing. Overcrowding, lack of
washing and insanitary conditions are perfect for lice," said Dr
Charters.

"If soldiers were scratching all of the time because of the
lice, they couldn't sleep, and because of the dirt the scratches
would become infected, and there were huge epidemics of skin
infections." Lice also carry diseases such as typhus and relapsing
and trench fever.

A total of 300,000 British troops suffered from trench fever during
the war. Trench fever is very debilitating and it was a huge drain on
the army. "Illness took a big toll," said Dr Charters.

Another trial was huge rats living on so much decaying matter, and
flies. Cold and exposed conditions also caused pneumonia.

Dr Charters said that at any given time, around half of the army
would be out of action through sickness.

"The surprising thing is that, despite the shelling, the
killing, friends being lost, dead bodies lying around and the general
conditions, morale held up pretty well and discipline kept going,"
said Dr Charters.

"I have tried to edge towards the central question of the
First World War ( how did men stand it?"

Talk tickets are pounds 4.35 with a pounds 3.25 concession, pounds
2.45 for children and pounds 2.15 for season ticket holders, and are
available in advance from the dli on (0191) 384-2214.

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